Railway signaling.



PA'TENTED JULY 28, 1908 J. B. STRUBLE. RAILWAY SIGNALING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1904.

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AIMJ'ATTORNEY No. 894,411. PATENTED JULY 28, 1908.

I J B STRUBLE RAILWAY SIGNALING. APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1904 2SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR WITNESSES:

d6 ATTORNEY UNITED sTAg rs rngir vr OFFICE.

JACOB B. STRUBLE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITOH ANDSIGNAL COMPANY, OF vEWV ISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY SIGNALING.

citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, Icity, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Railway Signaling, of which the following is aspecifi-' cation.

My invention relates to railway signaling. My invention moreparticularly relates to that class of railway signaling whereinautomatically operated or controlled tripping devices are located alongthe railway which in their set position operate a lever, arm, or otherdevice carried by the moving tram,

which lever is embodied in the braking systerm for the train, or in thecontrol for the motive power, or in both the braking system and thecontrol for the motive power of the movin train.

I will describe an application of my invention to a railway and thenpoint out the novel featrres thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a portionof a railway, a railway signal, an automatic tripping: device and anarrangement of circuits all embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1, but showing a different condition of circuits. due tothe presence of a train. Fig. 3 1s a view similar to Fig. 1, but

showing a diii'erent condition of circuits due to the presence of atrain. Fig. 4 is .a view similar to Fig. l, but showin a different arrrangement of circuits and emood ying my invention. Fig. 5 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 4, but showing a dili'erent condition of the circuitsdue to the presence of a train. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4, butshowing a difl'erent condition of the circuits due to the presonce of atrain.

fiiinilar letters of reference ('lesignatc corresponding parts in all ofthe figures.

Referring nowto Fig. 1, A designates a portion of a railway, and a, l),c, designate what vare generally termed block sections. 'Ihese blocksections are generally formed by insulating one or both of the oppositeline of rails. That portion of the railway track between insulatedpoints generally termed a block section. In the drawings both lines ofrails are shown asbeing insulatedas desig nated at 2. Each block sectionis provided with a railway signal S, or there may be a plurality of suchsignals. A railway Specification of Letters Patent.

- Application filed July 13, 1904. Serial No. 216,338.

Patented July 28, 1908.

signal of the automatic type is preferred, which as is well understood,comprises a semaphore and an operating mechanism suitably connected withthe semaphore. Each block section is provided with a track circuitwhich, as is well known, comprises a source of current B, suitablyconnected with the track rails of the block section at one end of theblock section and a translating device or relay R at the other end ofthe block section, having its energizing coil in circuit with the trackrails. The source of current supply B may be any desired. That is, itmay supply a direct current, an intermittent or pulsating current, oralternating current, and the translating device or relay It may be ofany desired construction which will respond to the current fromthesource of supply intended for its operation. The movable member orarmature r of the relay controls a local circuit L, which as usual,includes a source of. current I and a controlling device comprised inthe operating mechanism of the railway signal. Ordinarily when no trainis in the block section, current from the source of supply B affects thetranslating device R to have its movable member 1' in such position asto close the local circuit. With the local circuit closed the semaphoreof the railway signal will be held in a position to indicate safety orclear. As soon as a train enters a block section, the wheels and axlesthereof short-circuit or shunt the current from the source of supplyBfrom the translating device R, which becoming deenergized respondswithit-s movable-member under the influence of gravity or otherwise, toopen the local circuit L and permit of the semaphore of the railwaysignal moving or being moved to the danger position of indication.

'l designates an automatically operated tripping device having an arm orlever 25, which when in a certain position 'w'ill be struck or engagedby a lover or art. by a train, which lever or arm carried by thetrain-is included in or controls the braking system of a car or train,or the control of the motive power for the motors of the car or train.The mechanism of the automatic tripping device is preferably such thatunder certain conditions it will move the arm t to one position andunder other conditions will permit of the arm being moved by gravity orotherwise, to What is termed its set position.

of the automatic device includes an electrically operated device, thecircuit of which is either under the control of .a translating device or'relay, or a railway signal. Ordinarily, these automatic devices arelocated at'or adjacent a railway signal and the arm tthereof correspondsin its position with the position of the semaphore of the railwaysignal, except under conditions hereinafter explained. That is, when thesemaphore is ina osition to indicate safety, the arm t will be in suchposition as to not be engaged by the armor lever carried by the car ortrain, and when the semaphore is in a position indicating danger, thearm t will be in such position as to be engaged by the lever or armcarriedby the train, except when the train is actually passing the armt, during Which time the said arm will be held in its ino erativeposition.

have not shown any specific form of triping device t or its operatingmechanism as it iorms no part of my invention, and as it is so wellknown in the art as to require no illustration or detailed description.I preferably employ a mechanism which holds the arm t in an inoperativeposition by the expenditure of energy and an electrically operateddevice to control the supply of energy to the mechanism. Theelectrically operated device so long as energized by current permits thesupply of energy to the mechanism, and when deprived of current ordeenergized, shuts off the supply of energy and permits the arm t to bemoved or move under the influence of gravity to its operative position.

My resent invention relates more particular y to the control of theelectrically operated device and therefore the. arm if.

An object of my invention is to prevent the o eration of theautomaticdevice to move t e arm t to its set position until after therear of the train has moved into theblock section.

Another object of my invention is to have the semaphore move or be movedto the danger position immediately upon the entrance of a train to theblock section for the reason that the movement of the semaphore may beemployed to control the position of'other controlling two contactpoints, one of which is included in the local circuit L, and the otherof which is included in a circuit L, which includes a source of energy Zand the electrically controlled device com rised in the mechanism of theautomatic evice T. The circuit L is also controlled by a circuitcontroller 0, whichis operated from the railway signal S. When thesemaphore of the railway signal is in a position to indicate safety, thecircuit controller C is in such position as to close the circuit L atthat point, While the translating device R has opened the circuit.

The operation of the circuits illustrated in Fig, 1, is as follows: Withno train in the block section b the apparatus and circuits Will be inthe condition shown in Fig. .1. As soon as a. train enters the blocksection b the ir'st pair of wheels and axles thereof will short-circuitthe battery Bi rom the translating device or relay R and the movablemember or armature 1' drops onto its back contact (see Fig. 3), In do1nthis the local circuit L will be opened and t e mechanism of the railwaysignal will move or permit or" the semaphore being moved to the dangerposition. The movement of the semaphore to the danger position permitsthe circuit controllerC to open the circuit L at that oint, but thisopening of the circuit L w' not cause the automatic device T .to set thearm t to its set osition because the circuit L has previously een'closed by the movable menu or r of the relay R moving on to its backcontact. The action of the translating device is quicker than themovement of the semaphore so that there will be no momentary o erationof the automatic tripping device T. Tiis condition 'of the circuits Wlllprevail until the last pair of wheels andaxle of the car or train movesbeyond the insulation point 3 at which time current from the source ofenergy B will ain energize the translating device R to ave it operateits movable member 1 to close the circuit L and to open the circuit L atthat point. (See Fig.

the automatic evice' T operating to move the arm t to its set position,'The closing of .operatinghmechanism of the railway signal moving t esemaphore to safety 'osition for the reasonthat t e circuit L wil beopened by the translatin device R as soon as the first pair of the weels and axle of the car or train has passed the insulation point 3. V W

designates an arbitrary representation of a car or train.

Referring now to Fig. 4 precisely the same arrangement of parts-is shownwith the exception that thetranslating device R is on open circuitwhereas in Fig. 1, it is on closed 2.)- The openin of the circuit Lpermits of circuit. When the translating device It is in an opencircuit, the circuit L is completed by reason of the "movable member orarmature r engaging its front contact. The circuit L Y is completed uponthe energization of the translating device R which will be the case whena pair of wheels and axle bridges the track rails of block section I)(see Fig. 6) between the insulation points 1 and 3. Precisely the sameoperation takesv place with the form of invention illustrated with Figs.4, 5 and 6, as described in connection with Figs. 1, 2 and 3, theseveral conditions of the circuits due to the different positions of thecar or train being illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The local circuit L ofthe railway signal is closed at the translating device R by its armaturebeingon its back contact. Instead of dividing any single block byinsulation 3 as illustrated, independent block sections may be employed.

My invention is applicable to steam or electric railroads and any formof track circuit and circuit controlling device may be employed.

In its broadest sense my invention contemplates the employment ofcircuit controlling devices operated by the passage of a train along therailway track to control the position of a railway signal and anautomatic tripping device in the order of first setting the signal to adanger position immediately the train enters a block section and thesetting of a trip device to operative position immediately after thelast pair of wheels and axle of a car or'train has passed into the blocksection. In the specific embodiment of my invention the circuitcontrolling devices are included in track circuits either closed or opentrack circuits.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Thecombination with a railwaysignal for a block section of a railway,of a circuit controller operated by the passage of a train forcontrolling the position thereof, a tripping device adjacent the railwaysignal, and a circuit controller operated. by the passage of a train,the arrangement of the circuit controllers being such that the railwaysignal will'iirst move to danger position by the action of a train, andafter the train has completely entered the block section the trippingdevice will be operated to set position.

2. The combination with a railway signal controlling a block section ofa railway, a track circuit including a translating device forcontrolling the operation of the railway signal, a tripping device adjaeent the railway signal, a track circuit and translating device forcontrolling the tripping device, and a circuit controller operated bythe railway signal for controlling the tripping device.

3. The combination with a railway signal said last mentioned translatingdevice also;

controlling the railway signal, and a circuitcontroller operated by therailway signal for controlling the tripping device. 4.- The combinationwith a railway signal controlling a block section of a railway, a trackcircuit for said block section including a translating device forcontrolling the railway signal, a tripping device, a track circuit andtranslating device for controlling the tripping device and said lastmentioned translatin device also controlling the rail way si naI.

5. T e combination with a block section of a railway, a signal devicetherefor, a triping device therefor, train controlled means or governingthe position of the signal'de vice and two circuits for the trippingdevice,

one of which is controlled by the passage of a 6. The combination with ablock sectionof a railway, signal devices along the railway, one beingprovided for the block section, train controlled means for controllingthe position of the signal device, a tripping device for the blocksection, and two circuits for controlling the position of the trippingdevice for holding the tripping device in inoperative position, one ofsaid circuits being controlled by the passage of a train along the blocksection and the other of which is controlled by a signal device alongthe railway.

7. The combination with a block section of a railway, a trip device forsaid block section, and train controlled means for controlling theoperation of the trip device, their operation being such that the tripwill be et to its operative position only when the end or rear of thetrain shall have entered the block section,

8. The combination with a block section of a railway, a signal devicetherefor, a trip device for said block section, and means forcontrolling the operation of said signal device and trip device, saidmeans being arranged and operated first to set the signal device todanger position and the trip device JACOB B. STRUBLE.

Witnesses:

A. HERMAN WEGNER, O. W. VAN N OSTRAND.

